3G launched in city but miseries for landline users continue

Even as the state-owned BSNL launched 3G services, a latest in cellular technology, in the city on Saturday, miseries continue to pile up for its landline subscribers. They're not only getting inflated bills and but also pathetic responses from the company officials. 

The furious customers seem to be in a mood for war against BSNL whose officials seem to be dozing. TOI on Saturday reported about how some customers were shocked to receive combined bill of three months even after regular payments and how a lawyer Sharad Verma is contemplating to file a PIL. 

Arvind Meshram had to close down his telephone booth due to the pathetic service. "My livelihood depended on that booth," he said. "I was incurring huge losses because proper technical support was not provided. The billing was really erratic. BSNL didn't give a detailed bill when requested for. But what was more surprising was that in spite of severing connection, BSNL continued to send the bills." 

Dr Sandeep Mahajan also received an inflated bill. "Every month I used to get a bill of around Rs 500, but this time it was an unimaginable Rs 6,000," he said. "I was surprised to see the bill. When I went to the post office they told me to pay the complete amount. I went to the main office to complain and I saw a huge crowd there waiting to do the same. I demanded for a detailed bill but the official refused to do so and behaved arrogantly. I went to a higher official to complain and he told me that the problem was from Pune and he was helpless." 

"Why should we suffer unnecessarily for the glitches these people make? I've no other way than to a shift to private operators who offers far better services," he lamented. 

A travel agent Milind Deshkar was surprised to get his bill inflated four times over the usual amount. "I use the Internet and landline phone services. But this month they charged me around Rs 10,000 in their bill. Normally I get a bill of around Rs. 2,200. On enquiry, the officials said that my Internet use was more this month. They didn't give me any other details. I had no choice but to pay the bill," he said. 

The BSNL office is being tactful when the issue was put to them. Some even said that they were busy with the launching of the 3G service so they weren't able to pay attention to the billing. Similar problems were reported in Nashik and Pune as well. "The customers can go to the accounts department at our CTO office and sort it out," said an official on anonymity.